Women's Cagers Home Opener Is Showtime For V-Squad

Pasadena City College women's basketball fans got a first look at the "V-Squad" as Lupe Vazquez and Maiya Villanueva put on a shooting show in a 91-29 Veteran's Day win for the Lancers over Imperial Valley during the first round of the Pasadena Classic at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.

Vazquez poured in 38 points, tying a PCC single-game record for 3-point baskets made with 10, while Villanueva made her last seven shots and finished with 28 points. Vazquez tried to break the record but failed on her last five bomb attempts. She finished 14 of 30 from the field and 10-for-22 on treys. 

Villanueva made 10-for-16 from the field, including sinking four 3s while also hitting several short pull-up jumpers and assorted drives to the basket. At one point, Villanueva passed Vazquez in scoring, but that's before the freshman sharpshooting Vazquez got a second wind and made five long-range baskets in the fourth quarter. It was the second straight game that Vazquez scored 38 points.

She tied the 3-point record set first by Melia Basavand in 2008 and matched by Anna Shahinian in 2011. It was the second straight game that Vazquez scored 38 points and she did it in back-to-back games--something never done by another Lancer more than once. Vazquez already has two of the six highest scoring performances in PCC history in just her first three games in a Lancers uniform. 

Vazquez added nine rebounds and six assists whle Villanueva also was all over the scoresheet with seven assists and three steals. Kaniya Hill had six points and eight assists off the bench while Tatiana Ayala pulled down 14 rebounds with three steals, two blocks and two points. Emily Trinh collected 10 boards and scored five points. Naomi Turner contributed seven points. 

Vazquez had 14 points by the end of the first quarter as PCC raced to a 24-3 lead. It was 44-16 by halftime and 70-22 after three quarters. 

PCC head coach Joe Peron, in his 25th season, directed his 540th career victory. 

Pasadena (1-2 overall) closes out the Pasadena Classic on Friday, Nov. 12 in a 4 p.m. game v. San Diego City College. Saddleback, a 64-47 loser to SDCC, will face Imperial Valley at 2 p.m.

Maiya Villanueva, the other half of PCC's V-Squad